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New Treatment to Relieve the Pressure of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief of sight.” Only half of the four million people affected know they have it.

Glaucoma is characterized by progressive damage to the optic nerve with subsequent loss of vision typically associated with elevated eye pressure.

Depending on the type of glaucoma and other patient factors, a new surgical procedure may be able to lower eye pressure less invasively, and with a shorter recovery time than current procedures. 

Carla Siegfried, MD,  of the Washington University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, employs a device called the Trabectome® to perform trabeculotomy as a surgical treatment for open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease in this country.

Although the number of centers across the U.S. using the procedure has more than doubled in the last year, these doctors are currently the only eye surgeons in the region offering this new option.

More invasive surgeries are generally used when glaucoma is advanced and has not responded to other therapies such as eyedrops and laser treatments.

The less invasive trabeculotomy is appropriate for patients with mild-to-moderate glaucoma. In addition to its use in patients with early to moderate glaucoma, it is an alternative for patients who don’t tolerate eye drops well or who aren’t candidates for more traditional glaucoma surgeries.”

Another advantage of the new procedure is recuperation. Standard glaucoma surgeries have recovery times of up to six weeks. This new procedure has the same success rate, but with a much shorter recovery time. Patients typically resume normal activities after a week.

Despite these advantages, trabeculotomy performed with the Trabectome is not the best option for all patients with the disease. Those with more advanced glaucoma or certain other types of glaucoma, such as angle closure glaucoma, will still benefit more from traditional procedures.

For more information, or to find out if you are a candidate for a trabeculotomy, please call
314-362-3967.

Patients are seen at: 

Center for Advanced Medicine
Eye Center 
4921 Parkview Place
12th Floor, Suite C
St. Louis, MO 63110

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
Medical Building Two
10 Barnes West Drive, Suite 201
Creve Coeur, MO  63141

South County
Eye Center
13303 Tesson Ferry Road, Suite 100
St. Louis, Mo  63128
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Copyright 2013 Washington University School of Medicine
Copyright 2013 Washington University School of Medicine